Loom-picking device

ABSTRACT

A picking device for a loom comprising a pick ball supporting stud and a cooperating locking element therefor for fixedly attaching it to and releasing it for disassembly from the loom&#39;&#39;s pickshaft.

United States Patent 414,652 11/1889 Meats. 2,868,234 1/1959 NimsFOREIGN PATENTS [72] Inventor UmbertoV.Tosti Miliord,Mass.

[21] App1.No. 12,001

22 Filed Feb. 17, 1970 .m .m m m m nt .ma mm uemw A600 6033 0482 99891111 l/l/ 720 l 1 01. 1791 ,3 5826 28 0 6 2 n 0 .U a m 0 C H e W m R I.a 7W 9e 0 A am v m 00 NNH de 4% 2. 3 PA .11 53 47 1.1

Primary Examiner]ames Kee Chi Anarneys.1ohn R. Bronaugh, George R.Powers and Floyd S.

nu w .W e L E mm F m M a r D E4 J Wm 0C L2 M U A picking device for a100m comprising a pick ng stud and a cooperating locking element fixedlyattaching it to and releasing it for disassembly from the loomspickshaft.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1967Urguhart..,...............

PATENTEuunv 30 IHII sum Inf 2 LOOM-PICKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The invention pertains to a picking motion for looms of thefly-shuttle type wherein a rotating pick cam acts upon a pick ball toactuate the looms pickshaft. As is well known to those conversant in theweaving art, the pickshaft is mechanically linked to a so-called pickerstick, the latter of which provides the means for picking a shuttleacross the loom through a shed formed by warp threads. In particular theinvention pertains to the pick ball stud which rotatably supports thepick ball on the pickshaft in a position which enables it to track onthe outer periphery of the pick cam.

The conventional means of assembling a pick ball stud in a pickshaft isthat of a press fit and should it require replacement for such knownreasons as becoming worn or broken, considerable time and expense isrequired to make such a replacement. To replace a pick ball stud, thepickshaft must be removed from the loom and with certain late modellooms it presents many problems for the gauged settings of other loomcomponents must be disturbed as well as in certain cases the removal ofunrelated elements is required to enable the removal of the pickshaft.Machine shop time is required to press out and replace the pickshaftwith a new pick ball stud after which said pickshaft must be reassembledto the loom in proper gauged position as well as resetting orreassembling other elements that had to be disturbed. Weaving millsconsider the downtime of a loom for pick-ball stud replacement excessiveas well as quite costly.

A form of a replaceable pick ball stud is shown and described in US.Pat. No. 3,332,449. This arrangement utilizes a collet device having atapered rod that is adapted to cooperate with a sleeve that is split toform expandable fingers, the latter of which serve to fixedly assemblethe pick ball stud to the loom's pickshaft.

Relative to the instant replaceable pick ball stud, the collettypearrangement requires a greater number of cooperating components andcompared to the number of necessary machining operations required forits manufacture, it necessitates substantially more resulting in greaterreplacement cost to a weaving mill.

The replaceable pick ball stud according to the instant inventioneliminates those undesirable factors prevalent with the known forms ofpick ball studs by providing one which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture with a positive means for its assembly to a pickshaft andwhich is readily replaceable without removing said pickshaft from theloom or disturbing the gauged settings thereof and other closelydisposed parts of a loom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The pickshaft to which the replaceable pickball stud of the present invention assembles, includes an integrallyformed apertured boss through which said stud is adapted to extend. Thatportion of the stud which assembles within the boss, includes agenerally longitudinally extending raceway on the outer peripherythereof into which a relatively slidable locking member or so-calledwedge is receivable.

The aperture through which the stud extends is disposed transversely ofthe axis of the pickshaft and extending outwardly from each end of theboss one end of said stud is adapted to rotatably support the pick balland the opposite end is threaded to receive a locking assembly nut. Thislocking assembly nut draws the pick ball stud into operating position onthe pickshaft and the relative movement during this assembly between thestud and wedge causes the outer surface of the latter to bear againstthe inner surface of the aperture to fixedly position said stud inoperating position.

To release the holding force of the wedge, one simply has to loosen thelocking assembly nut and tap that end of the stud.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to substantiallyreduce the time element and expense for the replacement of a pick ballstud in the pickshaft of a loom.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide animproved pick ball stud which can be quickly and easily replaced in aloom pickshaft without removal of the latter from a loom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. l is a perspective view ofa portion of the left-hand side of a loom with a part of the pickshaftomitted to show the tracking position of the pick ball on the pick cam;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the picking mechanism as seenlooking from the inside of a loom;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing a portion of the looms pickshaft andthe pick ball supporting stud according to the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of that portion of the pickshaft shown inFIG. 3 with the pick ball supporting stud assembled thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawingswherein only as much of a loom structure is depicted as is necessary fora complete understanding of the invention, there is shown in FIG. l thelefthand side of the loom and its end frame or so-called loomside I0which is adapted to support the loom's picking motion generallyindicated by numeral I l.

The invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as applied to one side of theloom only; however, it should be understood that the invention isequally applicable to both sides of the loom and that the opposite sideis provided with similar components to make it function in a likemanner.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the loom's picking motion includes a pickshaft12 the ends of which are journaled in bearing boxes 13 and 14 that arefixedly attached to the loomside 10 by means of bolts 15 and 16respectively.

The loom's camshaft is shown at 17 and carries for rotation therewith apick cam 18 on the outer periphery of which a pick ball 19 is caused totrack. The pick ball 19 is rotatably supported on the pickshaft 12 bymeans of a readily removable supporting stud or so-called pick ball studgenerally indicated by numeral 20 and which will be more fully describedhereinafter.

The pickshaft 12 also includes a depending pick arm 21 (FIG. I) and bymeans of a generally horizontally disposed lug connection 22 said pickarm is interconnected with a picker stick 23 which in a well-knownmanner provides the means for propelling a shuttle (not shown) acrossthe width of the loom.

The pickshaft 12 is provided adjacent its rearward end with anintegrally formed aperture boss 24 with the aperture therein beingidentified by numeral 25 in FIG. 3. This aperture 25 extendstransversely of the axis of the pickshaft I2'and is counterbored as at26 (FIG. 4) to conform to the configuration of that portion of the pickball stud adapted to assemble therein.

As shown in FIG. 3 the pick ball 19 is assembled on one end of the pickball stud with the inner end thereof disposed in close proximity with athrust washer 27 that is pressed onto said stud to a positionintermediate its ends.

That part of the pick ball stud which assembles within aperture 25includes a cylindrical body portion 28 and in continuation thereof anecked portion 29 of a reduced diameter which is threaded as at 30 forthe reception of a locking assembly nut 31.

The cylindrical body portion 28 of the pick ball stud is provided with alongitudinally disposed raceway 32 that extends from the necked portion29 to the thrust washer 27. The depth of the raceway adjacent to thenecked portion is in alignment with the outer periphery of the latterand extending toward the thrust washer 27 at a slight angle to the axisof the stud, it terminates on the outer periphery of the body portion ata position in close proximity with the side of said thrust washer.

A relatively slidable locking member or wedge 33 (FIGS. 3 and 4)assembles in the raceway 32 and is provided with a curved outer surfacehaving a radius equal to that of the body portion 28 of the pick ballstud and a flat lower surface to facilitate relative movement withinsaid raceway The end of the wedge identified by numeral 34 in FIG. 3 isslightly thicker than the depth of the raceway at that point adjacent tothe necked portion 29.

In assembly the wedge is placed in the raceway in such a manner that aportion of the length of the thicker end extends for a portion of thelength of the necked portion which makes the outer curved surface ofthat portion within the raceway concentric with the diameter of the bodyportion 28 of the stud. The stud is then inserted into aperture and thelocking assembly nut 3l applied to the threaded end thereof. The thickerend of the wedge makes contact with the end of the counterbore withinsaid aperture and as the nut 31 is tightened the relative movementbetween the pick ball stud and wedge causes the latter to be forcedoutwardly to bind and fixedly position said stud in the pickshaft.

The angular configuration of the wedge conforms to the angle at whichthe raceway is formed in the body portion of the stud so that inassembly the full longitudinal length of said wedge serves to providethe desired binding force for locking said stud in operating position.

To remove the pick ball stud from the pickshaft, one simply loosens thelocking nut, then taps that end of said stud to free the wedge and itcan then be quickly and easily taken out without removing the pickshaftfrom the loom.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. In a picking motion for a loom having a picker stick. a camshaftincluding a pick cam fixed thereon for'rotation therewith during loomoperation, a pickshaft operatively linked to said picker stick and apick ball for engaging said pick cam to activate said pickshaft, theimprovement comprising: a detachable stud member carried by saidpickshaft for rotatably supporting said pick ball; a relatively slidablelocking member engageable with the pickshaft and stud member for fixedlypositioning the latter to said pickshaft; said pickshaft including anintegrally formed apertured boss through which said stud member isadapted to extend with a removable fastening member attached to one endof the latter for providing a means for its assembly to and disassemblyfrom said pickshaft; said slidable locking member being a wedge elementinterposed between the inner surface of said apertured boss and saidstud member; and said stud member including a longitudinally extendingraceway on the outer periphery thereof into which said wedge element isreceivable.

2. The picking motion according to claim I wherein said raceway has adepth at one end greater than at its opposite end whereby the relativemovement between said raceway and wedge element is effective inproducing a binding action for fixedly positioning said stud member whenassembled to said pickshaft.

1. In a picking motion for a loom having a picker stick, a camshaftincluding a pick cam fixed thereon for rotation therewith during loomoperation, a pickshaft operatively linked to said picker stick and apick ball for engaging said pick cam to activate said pickshaft, theimprovement comprising: a detachable stud member carried by saidpickshaft for rotatably supporting said pick ball; a relatively slidablelocking member engageable with the pickshaft and stud member for fixedlypositioning the latter to said pickshaft; said pickshaft including anintegrally formed apertured boss through which said stud member isadapted to extend with a removable fastening member attached to one endof the latter for providing a means for its assembly to and disassemblyfrom said pickshaft; said slidable locking member being a wedge elementinterposed between the inner surface of said apertured boss and saidstud member; and said stud member including a longitudinally extendingraceway on the outer periphery thereof into which said wedge element isreceivable.
 2. The picking motion according to claim 1 wherein saidraceway has a depth at one end greater than at its opposite end wherebythe relative movement between said raceway and wedge element iseffective in producing a binding action for fixedly positioning saidstud member when assembled to said pickshaft.